For The Marine Artillerymen
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thien Hieu
At the end of Summer 1963, I was ordered to report to the Joint General Staff Headquarters to receive a new assignment. For the first time in my career as an artilleryman, I was allowed to choose the unit I wanted to serve in. I chose the Marine Artillery Battalion stationed at Thu Duc. It was the closest one to Saigon. Before reporting to the Artillery Command I visited Chuong Duong camp to see Captain Nguyen Van Truoc, the commander of the Marine Artillery Battalion at Thu Duc. He trained me, and I remember him as a not-so-strict cadet platoon chief at the Thu Duc School for Military Reserve Officers. After graduating I met him again in 1960 at the Artillery headquarters of II Corps. The distance between training officer and cadet had disappeared. Being far from home in the Central Highlands, we established a close friendship, spending many a night drinking and making merry in the quarters of single officers. He was well-liked for his camaraderie. He had just lost his position as Commander of the 1st Artillery Battalion, so to drown his sorrows, would often ask me to accompany him to the pub. He shouted all the drinks, whilst my duty was to drive hime home safely. A few months later, I was moved to the 21st Artillery Battalion. At some stage after I left II Corps, Captain Truoc became the Commander of the Marine Artillery Battalion.
The Marine Artillery Battalion at that time was composed of one 105mm artillery company and two 75mm artillery companies. Each had eight guns (the 105mm company in the Infantry Division only had four pieces).
The 75mm Company A was commanded by First Lieutenant Doan Trong Cao of the 13th Dalat graduation. He later chose his radio code name as Can Truong, but he was nicknamed “Gentleman Doan”. I had read about him long before I met him in a book written by Ha Huyen Chi, called “The Blunted Thorn”.
The 75mm Company B had 2nd Lieutenant Hanh as its commander. He was dubbed “Hanh the local T.V fan” by Captain Truoc, who was himself labelled as the “The Zinc-moustached Old Man”. Hanh prefered to stay inside his room with his girlfriend rather than watch the imported T.V with fellow officers.
The Commander of the 105mm Company C was Nguyen Ho Quy, who had dark skin and a bald forehead, for which he was nicknamed “the Black gentlemen.” Quy and I both finished in the 5th Thu Duc graduation, were in platoon 17, company 5 together and were the best of friends. At training, he used to to load the canisters, whilst I sat behind him to rectify the shots. I rarely studied, but he copied me all the same during exams. Amazingly, we managed scrape through to become 2nd Lieutenants. After graduation, I chose II Corps, and was transfered to the 26th Artillery Battalion stationed at Nam Giao; Quy was sent to the 24th Artillery Battalion at Ban Me Thuot. In 1958, after further artillery training in the USA, I met him again in the 24th Artilery Battalion. He himself went to the States to train as an artillery company commander while I was at Artillery Headquarters in II Corps. He later returned to serve in the Marine Artillery Battalion. Once again in the same unit, Quy transferred his Company C over to me, and became executive officer of the Marine Artillery Battalion.
In the Coup of the November the 1st 1963, the “Black Gentleman” and “Gentleman Doan” both participated, for which they earned their captaincies. A month later, I too, became a captain after six years in service. This was to be my 5th time as commander of an artillery company, but this time, I was the proud leader of a 105mm company with eight guns. Artillery Company C was arguably composed of the best artillery men, many of whom would in the years to come become Battalion Commanders. They included Dang Ba Dat, Le Khac Dong, Nguyen Huu Lac, and Ha Tien Chuong. Within the next two years, many of my classmates would go on to become executive officers of the Infantry Artillery Battalions, some even had the chance of becoming Battalion Commanding Officers or majors.
I asked Major Truoc to hand over Company C to 1st Lieutenant Dang ba Dat and I lodged the application from for transference under the pretext of ill health. I did not realize that the Marine Corp was like a fish trap - once inside, it was very difficult to leave. I was not allowed to go, and was instead shunted to G3. After nearly 2 years working as staff officer, a job which very much bound me to one spot, I was just about to lodge the form for demobilization, when the Mau Than Tet Offensive started. The general draft was announced and all previously demobilized officers were remobilized.
When Major Nguyen Van Truoc attended the Middle Staffing course, Nguyen Ho Quy the executive officer was meant to replace him, but for some reason the Zinc Moustached Old Man waved his magic wand and “Gentleman Doan” became commander of the 1st Marine Artillery Battalion instead. All the Black Gentleman could do was mumble insults under his breath as he carried the transference order to the Marine Division Headquarters to become Artillery Liaison officer.
Some months later, the 2nd Artillery battalion was formed and Quy was assigned Commander. I became his executive officer. Colonel Bui The Lan (Old Four Eyes) the Chief of Staff, summoned us to his office and said: “Now that you have the flag, try to wave it!” Under his encouragement I worked zealously. As a result, the “Black Gentleman” felt as if he was being overshadowed, and once again my personal military record was black marked. It was wrong of him to feel so, for it was always his “flag”, and it was never my intention to hold it.
When the departure ceremony for the 2nd Artillery Battalion ended, I was packed off to Da Lat to study the intermediate Staff course for nearly six months. When I returned, Lieutenant Colonel Do Ky, with whom I had worked in G3 took me aside and suggested I leave for an observation trip to Okinawa. I spent leisurely weeks in Okinawa, as practically all of the US Marines had left for Vietnam and there was nothing to observe.
By the end of 1969, I was promoted to major, although my personal military make was not in the least outstanding. This time the flag was really in my hands, but I was tired and disillusioned. Newly formed, the 3rd Artillery Battalion had no base. I led some sergeants and newly enlisted men to station temporarily in the 1st Artillery Battalion camp. There, I extracted the manpower and the officers I needed to form Artillery Company I. Mr Cao took pity on me and transfered one of his talented Company commanders, one by the name of Phan Minh Hung (nickname Hung Ho), to my battalion. The Black Gentleman also transfered to me company commander, Ha Tien Chuong, a timid young man who had just abandoned his studies in the priesthood. (Note: the 1st Artillery Battalion had 3 companies, A, B, C; the 2nd had 3 companies, D, E, F, and the 3rd had companies I, J, K.) Captain Vo Dang Phuong was my executive officer. He was a graduate from the Thu Duc Military Reserve School, but disciplined himself severely as if he was from the Da lat National Military Academy. He did not have any luck until the beginning of 1975, when he was assigned to the post of Battalion Commander. As he was so disciplined, he refused to flee from the serious situation in Thuan An in March 1975. Much later in the concentration camp, he had the guts to write a letter to the Communist Minister Pham Van Dong, demanding that he be tried according to the International Treatment of Prisoners of War Pact. Ten years after, his request was granted, but was given another ten years at the trial. A note informed him that after the decade-long term, he would be eligible for re-education in the force labour camps. Long after his friends had been released, he was still counting down his prison years. He was rumoured to have been released in 1994, and if so, he would have had the chance to be the last few officers to go to the USA in the HO program. Vo Dang Phuong served the longest prison term of all the Marines.
I ordered Phuong to bring Artillery companies I and J, to Duc My Artillery School to be trained and tested. Phuong also had to hold the position of Commander of Artillery Company K. On completion of the tests, the companies were transferred to the new company commander Lieutenant Phan Van Kinh (Old Kinh).
At that time, the 2nd Marine Artillery Battalion was involved in the invasion of Cambodia. It's commander, Nguyen Ho Quy suddenly fell ill to a serious disease, and soon passed away. I organized his funeral meticulously. It was indeed a pity he hadn't had the chance to accumulate more glory. His replacement was Captain Dang Ba Dat, of the 6th Thu Duc Class. He was originally from Artillery Company C and was a great favourite of Lieutenant General Le Nguyen Khang. He was a ladies man and a deadly Artillery man as well. As Artillery Company Commander, he always had the misfortune of being in situations where he was required to destroy his own guns. The first was an accident at Bong Son where the ammunition exploded inside the gun barrel! In Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos, Dat had to destroy twelve 105mm and four 155mm guns at the Dong Da base. In the summer of 1972, Dat was forced by the situation to put an end to twelve 105mm howitzers and flee to Ai Tu. Three weeks after, he was presented with 18 howitzers by the US Marines stationed at Okinawa, and voluntarily followed the 147th Marine Brigade back to Ai Tu to replace me. When I transfered the artillery position to him, I jokingly said: “The situation is pretty serious - try not to blow up any more guns OK? Good luck.”
As it turned out, Dat had to unexpectedly destroy his whole battalion's guns and trucks (for the third time) at the north bank of the Thach Han river, in order to cross to Quang Tri city. In March 1975, Dat burned all 3 Artillery Battalions fifty six 105mm Howitzers in I Corps.
With insufficient manpower and less than 100% equipped, the 3rd Artillery Battalion, composed of only 2 companies moved without fanfare (not even a departing ceremony) to Cambodia. With brand new guns, trucks and uniforms, the artillery men of No Than Battalion marched along the streets of Neak Luong as if they were parading. The Cambodians soldiers watched the Vietnamese Marines in awe. After three months of operation in Cambodia, the 3rd Artillery Battalion, the youngest of the the three battalions had indeed, grown up. I congratulated my officers. The executive officer, Vo Dang Phuong's strict discipline had been an example to the entire battalion. The Commander of Headquarters and Services Company, Ha Tien Chuong, though timid, was a fine man who had kept good order of the camps. Phan Minh Hung, inspite of his in-curling beard - the sign of a hen-pecked husband (!), was the brilliant Commander of Company I. Truong Cong Thuan was Commander of Artillery Company J, but after some months, was replaced by Vu Quang Vinh when he went to the 2nd Artillery Battalion. Vinh was in the 19th Class of the Thu Duc Reserve, but he was as disciplined and brave as any Da Lat graduate.
When the Communist tank columns were attacking Company I at the village of Chinh An, Vinh uttered his most famous words:
“As the guys in the 8th Battalion have fled, it's up to me to fight a dual with the NVA...” Calmly and fearlessly, he fired directly at the first tank. His audacity raised the morale of the artillerymen, who followed his example and continued to burn five other tanks, thus succeeding in stopping the enemy assault.
Company K was commanded by Pham van Kinh. Hot-headed old Kinh preferred to teach stubborn artillery men with a stick. In 1972, at Dong Ha, whilst fighting with the 3rd Battalion, he was so disgusted with the disorderly commands of the 3rd Infantry Division that he shouted into the radio: “Fuck! Are they intending to sacrifice this old man?” At that time, there were too many reinforcements, and Major General Vu Van Giai was unable to command effectively. I had overheard that our situation was grave, so was myself busy trying to withdraw his Company. Hearing Old Kinh's message, I managed to pass the order to retreat to him.
Most of these gentlemen are in the USA, all except Vu Quang Vinh. Rumour has it that he was murdered in one of the Communists' concentration camp, or killed in a resistance hideout. Nobody knew for sure, but he was certainly one of the many heroes who died in the war.
Lt Colonel Tran Thien Hieu
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